How to recognize fake "iToken" presale websites

What is the fake "iToken" presale?

After inspecting this "iToken" presale – we determined that it is fake. When users attempt to take part in the presale event, they are deceived into disclosing private information through a bogus registration process. It must be emphasized that this scam is in no way associated with Apple Inc. or any other legitimate entities.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We do not review crypto projects, please do your own research when investing money.

Federal Trade Comission (FTC) states that since the start of 2021, more than 46,000 people have reported losing over $1 billion in crypto to scams – that's about one out of every four dollars reported lost, more than any other payment method.

Fake "iToken" presale overview

We discovered this fake "iToken" presale event on ipresales[.]top, but it could also be promoted on other domains. The scam page bears the logos of various legitimate companies – however, it is not associated with Apple, Tesla, OpenAI, or Squarespace.

Once an attempt is made to participate in the bogus presale, the user is presented with account registration, which requires them to provide their full name, email address, phone number, and password. The website operates as a phishing scam, i.e., by recording provided information and sending it to scammers. The data could be used for spam and personalized scam purposes.

Furthermore, due to users often creating identical log-in credentials for multiple accounts – cyber criminals may steal their emails or other accounts through the exposed password.

What is more, as this scam concerns digital assets, it is possible that the victim will be asked to provide their cryptocurrency wallet log-in credentials further down the line. Alternatively, the user could be redirected to a crypto drainer – wherein "connected" wallets have their funds stolen through automated transactions.

In summary, victims of scams like "iToken" presale can experience severe privacy issues and financial losses. If you have disclosed your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support.

Cryptocurrency-specific scam examples

We have investigated countless online scams and those that center cryptocurrency primarily operate by seeking wallet log-in credentials, using draining mechanisms to steal funds from exposed wallets, and tricking users into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets.

"Solana L2 Presale", "$TWOCS Token Presale", "$SHADOW Presale", "Tornado Cash (TornadoCash)", and "fake Elixir (ELX) website" are merely some of our newest articles on such scams. While they are often poorly put together and riddled with mistakes, these scams can be competently made and even perfectly copy the design of legitimate websites. Due to how widespread deceptive and malicious content is on the Web – we highly recommend being vigilant when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

We found an instance of this fake "iToken" presale being promoted via a spam post on the X (more commonly known by its former name – Twitter) social media platform. This kind of spam is frequently used in crypto-themed scam endorsement. Promotional posts and direct/private messages (DMs/PMs) can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to real projects, organizations, companies, entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, etc.).

However, this scam could be pushed using other methods. Generally, prevalent endorsement techniques include: various types of spam (e.g., emails, forum posts, SMSes, cold calls/ robocalls, browser notifications, etc.), malvertising (intrusive advertisements), websites using rogue advertising networks, typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is paramount to online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, posts, advertisements, and messages making unbelievable promises. Pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully. Do not use sites offering pirated content or other dubious services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages typically use rogue advertising networks.

Do not enable suspect pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or block their requests. Be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links present in suspicious mail.

Download only from official/verified sources and be careful when installing (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of supplementary apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software (like adware) from infiltrating the system.

If your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate all threats.

The appearance of "iToken" presale scam (GIF):

Screenshot of a spam X (Twitter) post promoting the "iToken" presale scam:

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "iToken Presale" scam website?
• How to identify a pop-up scam?
• How do pop-up scams work?
• How to remove fake pop-ups?
• How to prevent fake pop-ups?
• What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

How to identify a pop-up scam?

Pop-up windows with various fake messages are a common type of lures cybercriminals use. They collect sensitive personal data, trick Internet users into calling fake tech support numbers, subscribe to useless online services, invest in shady cryptocurrency schemes, etc.

While in the majority of cases these pop-ups don't infect users' devices with malware, they can cause direct monetary loss or could result in identity theft.

Cybercriminals strive to create their rogue pop-up windows to look trustworthy, however, scams typically have the following characteristics:

• Spelling mistakes and non-professional images - Closely inspect the information displayed in a pop-up. Spelling mistakes and unprofessional images could be a sign of a scam.
• Sense of urgency - Countdown timer with a couple of minutes on it, asking you to enter your personal information or subscribe to some online service.
• Statements that you won something - If you haven't participated in a lottery, online competition, etc., and you see a pop-up window stating that you won.
• Computer or mobile device scan - A pop-up window that scans your device and informs of detected issues - is undoubtedly a scam; webpages cannot perform such actions.
• Exclusivity - Pop-up windows stating that only you are given secret access to a financial scheme that can quickly make you rich.

Example of a pop-up scam:

How do pop-up scams work?

Cybercriminals and deceptive marketers usually use various advertising networks, search engine poisoning techniques, and shady websites to generate traffic to their pop-ups. Users land on their online lures after clicking on fake download buttons, using a torrent website, or simply clicking on an Internet search engine result.

Based on users' location and device information, they are presented with a scam pop-up. Lures presented in such pop-ups range from get-rich-quick schemes to fake virus scans.

How to remove fake pop-ups?

In most cases, pop-up scams do not infect users' devices with malware. If you encountered a scam pop-up, simply closing it should be enough. In some cases scam, pop-ups may be hard to close; in such cases - close your Internet browser and restart it.

In extremely rare cases, you might need to reset your Internet browser. For this, use our instructions explaining how to reset Internet browser settings.

How to prevent fake pop-ups?

To prevent seeing pop-up scams, you should visit only reputable websites. Torrent, Crack, free online movie streaming, YouTube video download, and other websites of similar reputation commonly redirect Internet users to pop-up scams.

To minimize the risk of encountering pop-up scams, you should keep your Internet browsers up-to-date and use reputable anti-malware application. For this purpose, we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

This depends on the type of scam that you fell for. Most commonly, pop-up scams try to trick users into sending money, giving away personal information, or giving access to one's device.

• If you sent money to scammers: You should contact your financial institution and explain that you were scammed. If informed promptly, there's a chance to get your money back.
• If you gave away your personal information: You should change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication in all online services that you use. Visit Federal Trade Commission to report identity theft and get personalized recovery steps.
• If you let scammers connect to your device: You should scan your computer with reputable anti-malware (we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows) - cyber criminals could have planted trojans, keyloggers, and other malware, don't use your computer until removing possible threats.
• Help other Internet users: report Internet scams to Federal Trade Commission.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is an online scam?

Online scams are a type of deceptive content promoted on the Web. These scams aim to trick users into performing specific actions, e.g., disclosing sensitive data, connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, calling fake support lines, downloading/installing programs, buying products, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals primarily profit by abusing/selling private data, promoting content (e.g., websites, products, services, etc.), obtaining funds through deception, and spreading malware.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by a scam, what should I do?

If you have provided your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if you have disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, passport scans/photos, credit/debit card numbers, etc.) – contact the appropriate authorities without delay.

I have lost digital assets to a scam, can I get my money back?

Cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed due to their nearly untraceable nature.

Why do I encounter online scams?

This fake "iToken" presale has been promoted through social media spam. Other methods are not unlikely. Online scams are mainly endorsed via various types of spam (e.g., social media/ forum posts, PMs/DMs, emails, browser notifications, etc.), sites using rogue advertising networks, malvertising, typosquatting, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites for rogue, deceptive, and malicious content. It can also deny all further access to such webpages.